Waist band



J. A. WINTER WAIST BAND Feb. 5, 1963 Filed Apri 25, 1960 INVENTOR. Jack 79. Winter ndrusf'sfarke Oorneqs inw. 4f 44@ United States Patent O 3,076,201 WAIST BAND Jack A. Winter, 183 N. Milwaukee St., Milwaukee, Wis. Filed Apr. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 24,334 2 Claims. (Cl. 2-237) This invention relates to a waist band as for pants, shorts and skirts.

In the construction of waist bands it is desirable to provide a substantial width of elastic or stretchable material and having different degrees of elasticity to give greater comfort to the wearer.

The present invention provides a waist band of less costly more available materials of standard construction and which has the desired differential in elasticity.

In carrying out the invention applicant employs a two ply band in which the upper portion is made up of one ply of firm elastic and one ply of soft woven stretchable material cut on a bias or having an elastic content and the lower portion is made up of two or more plies of the same or similar soft stretchable material. The material of the garment extends up over the upper edge of the band and is sewn to the free edges of the two upper plies. The two portions of the band are joined by the firm elastic and it is desirable to have an inwardly facing gripping strip of woven rubber thread on the inside of the joining elastic between the two portions of the band.

The best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a substantially enlarged perspective fragmentary view in vertical edge section showing the band with garment attached; and

FIG. 2 is a similar view of a modified type of construction without the rubber grip.

The waist band illustrated comprises a strip 1 of firm elastic material having a width extending downwardly from the upper edge 2 of the band and with the lower edge of the strip disposed between the plies of a depending folded strip 3 of soft stretchable material cut on a bias or of less firm elastic.

The strip 3 depends from opposite sides of the strip 1 and is secured thereto by a single thread seam 4. 'Ihe fold in strip 3 is at the lower edge 5 of the band. The inner upper edge of strip 3 may be folded in reverse to extend downwardly inside the strip and thereby provide a third ply for the lower portion of the band as shown, if desired, depending upon the stretching characteristics of the material and bearing in mind that it is desirable to have the lower portion of the band stretch more easily than the upper portion of the band.

The embodiment of FIGURE 1 has la narrow strip 6 of rubber threads woven into the elastic 1 to project inwardly therefrom immediately above the fold of the inner upper edge of strip 3. v

A final strip 7 of material preferably similar in characteristics to strip 3 is secured by a suitable thread seam 8 to the inner surface of elastic 1 just above strip 6 and extends upwardly to the upper edge 2 of the band.

The garment 9 has its folded upper edge secured to the inside of the upper edge 2 of the band consisting of both the elastic strip 1 and the soft stretchable strip 7 as by the seam 10. The garment 9 extends outwardly over the top of edge 2 and depends freely downward therefrom on the outside of the waist band.

The embodiment of FIG. 2 shows a construction eliminating the strip 6 of rubber gripping material.

In this construction only two strips of material are employed. The elastic strip 11 is similar to strip 1 and has a strip 12 of soft stretchable material similar in characteristic to strip 3 `secured to the lower edge of strip 11 by the thread seam 13.

One edge 14 of strip 12 overlaps the outer surface of strip 11 to which it is secured by seam 13. Strip 12 extends downwardly from said one edge 14 for a substantial distance below the lower edge 15 of strip 11 and is folded inwardly to extend upwardly on the inside of strip 11 to a free upper edge 16 adjacent to the upper edge 17 of strip 11.

The body portion of strip 12 constituting the inner ply of the band is secured to strip 11 by seam 13. The material of strip `12 may have incorporated therein a rubber thread, not shown, to give the material a gripping non-slip characteristic.

The upper edges 16 and 17 are secured to the garment 18 by a thread seam 19 similar to the manner in which the garment 9 is secured by seam 10 to the upper edge 2 of the band of FIGURE 1.

The waist band of the present invention is a separate sub-assembly in manufacture and may be manufactured in quantity and sold and stored for subsequent incorporation in garments. The waist band may extend for the full circumference of the waist in a garment or for any part of the circumference desired.

The upper portion of the waist band comprising principally the firm elastic strip 1 or 11 and the additional ply 7 or 12 of soft more easily stretchable material provides a firm waist line for the garment, and the lower portion of the band comprising the plies of either strip 7 or 12 of more easily stretchable material provides a soft more comfortable draping portion for the band and gives a wider grip on the body of the wearer for supporting the garment.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

I claim:

1. In a garment of the class described, an elastic waist band of substantial width and of firm elastic characteristics adapted to extend about the waist portion of a wearer, an inner ply of softly stretchable Imaterial cut on the bias and secured near its upper edge to said elastic band near the upper edge of the band, said inner ply of stretchable material extending downwardly on the inside of said band and for a substantial distance below the band and being folded outwardly and upwardly to form an outer ply which is secured to the lower edge portion of said elastic band, the lower folded extended portion of said inner ply constituting `a lower softly stretchable band portion below said elastic band adapted to comfortably fit the body of the wearer in the region of the hips, and a garment secured to the upper edge portion of the band on the inside thereof and draped outwardly over the same to hang freely therefrom on the outside.

2. The construction of claim 1 in which said inner ply is constructed of separate upper and lower pieces with their opposed edges spaced, and grip material is formed on the elastic -band facing inwardly in the region of said space.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,149,128 Thorner et al Feb. 28, 1939 2,617,113 Hardie Nov. 11, 1952 2,630,575 Feinberg Mar. 10, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 673,548 Great Britain June 11, 1952 1,135,156 France Dec. 10, 1956 564,840 Canada Oct. 21, 1958 

1. IN A GARMENT OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED, AN ELASTIC WAIST BAND OF SUBSTANTIAL WIDTH AND OF FIRM ELASTIC CHARACTERISTICS ADAPTED TO EXTEND ABOUT THE WAIST PORTION OF A WEARER, AN INNER PLY OF SOFTLY STRETCHABLE MATERIAL CUT ON THE BIAS AND SECURED NEAR ITS UPPER EDGE TO SAID ELASTIC BAND NEAR THE UPPER EDGE OF THE BAND, SAID INNER PLY OF STRETCHABLE MATERIAL EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY ON THE INSIDE OF SAID BAND AND FOR A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE BELOW THE BAND AND BEING FOLDED OUTWARDLY AND UPWARDLY TO FORM AN OUTER PLY WHICH IS SECURED TO THE LOWER EDGE PORTION OF SAID ELASTIC BAND, THE LOWER FOLDED EXTENDED PORTION OF SAID INNER PLY CONSTITUTING A LOWER SOFTLY STRETCHABLE BAND PORTION BELOW SAID ELASTIC BAND ADAPTED TO COMFORTABLY FIT THE BODY OF THE WEARER IN THE REGION OF THE HIPS, AND A 